Adjustable paper stop for accounting machines



July 27, 1954 w. A. ANDERSON l 2,684,747

ADJUSTABLE PA-ER STOP FOR ACCUNTING MACHINES Filed June 21', 1951 tINVENToR.; WALTER A. ANDERSON 754%: ATTORNEY Patented July 27, 1954ADJUSTABLE PAPER STOP FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Walter A. Anderson,Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application June 21, 1951, Serial No. 232,859

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an adjustable paper stop means for accountingmachines having a traveling paper carriage and a roller platen, and moreparticularly to an adjustable paper depth gage adapted for positioningwork pieces that are fed downwardly into the carriage from in front ofthe platen.

The prior art discloses adjustable paper stops which are connected bygearing to insure uniform alignment of a work sheet at any setting ofthe stops. Such prior stops have been difficult and expensive tomanufacture or occupy a disproportionate space on the paper carriage. Inone type of the known paper stop members, the iiexible tape isperforated and the unextended portion is wound up on a toothed'wheel.This arrangement is expensive due to the differential spacing of theperforations required in the tape to compensate for the build-up of thetape on the wheel. Another type of paper stop does not require suchdifferential periorations but does utilize a separate andspace-occupying container for the unextended portion of tape.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an adjustablepaper stop means that is adapted for easy assembling in the machine andfor quick and easy shifting to various positions laterally therein,without disturbing associated parts or requiring the provision ofspecial component parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable paper stopmeans that is easily operated with a minimum of wear of its componentparts.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide suoli a stopmeans as described that utilizes a minimum of space in the travelingpaper carriage.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustablepaper stop means that is simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, and dependable in operation.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, theirnportant elements of which are herein set forth in appended claims,and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described withreference to the drawings which accompany and form part ofthespecication.

The present invention is an improvement over the constructon disclosedin my prior Patent No. 2,204,242, issued June l1, 1940.

Figure l is a partial right side view in vertical section of a carriagefor accountng machines embodyng the present invention,

(Cl. IS7- 140) Figure 2 is a sectional detail view of the parts as seenfrom the line 2-2, Figure l, y

Figures 3 and 4 are detail views showing the general construction ofcertain of the parts shown in Figure 1 and,

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view as seen from the line 5 5, Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the paper carriage consists, generally, ofside plates lil supported in spaced relation by means of a frame memberI l, and is mounted for lateral movement on antifriction bearings l2supported in a rail i3 xed to the machine frame partially shown at I4.Rotatably supported in the carriage is a roller platen I5 for supportingwork pieces to be printed upon by the usual type bars, not shown. Fixedin the carriage, intermediate the side plates i0, are an angle member 2Band bar 2l, to which is secured a paper table 22. Mounted in spacedrelation, laterally in the carriage, on a shaft 23 rotatably supportedin the carriage frame member Hare a plurality of frame members 24carrying feed rollers 25 normally tensioned to bear against the platenl5 by springs 25. Secured to the paper supporting table 22 and to theangle member 20, intermediate the feed rollers 25, are paper delectors3D.

The feed rollers 25 are shown in the open throat position out of thepath of a front fed work sheet S. The sheet S will be inserteddownwardly in front of the platen I5, along the deflectors 30 andrearwardly along the paper table 22.

Mounted in the carriage on brackets 3i and in spaced vertical relationwith the paper table 22 are a plurality of rear paper deiiectors 32, onein alignment with each of the feed rollers 25, each having a forwardlyextending upwardly formed end portion 33 for deflecting the work piecesinto the space between paper table 22 and the rear deiiectors 32.

Firmly secured, by means of screws 36, Figure 1, to the bar 2| is abracket, Figures l, 2 and 3, consisting of side walls 31 connected by abridging portion 38. The bridging portion 38 is eX- tended rearwardly ofthe bracket and is bent downwardly and forwardly terminating in twospaced ears 39. Journalled in the side walls 37 is a shaft 4i! having asleeve 4l rmly secured thereto by means of a set screw 42, Figure 2.Rigidly fixed on the sleeve 4I is a gear 45 supported thereonintermediate flanged discs 45. Gear is positioned in the space betweenthe ears 39 and in a slot 5| provided therefor in the bridging portion38 of the bracket, enabling the provision of a bracket no largervertically than the diameter of the gear 45. A exible tape 4l that isperforated for engagement in the teeth of the 'gear d5 lies on the topsurface of the paper table 12 and passes partially around gear [i5between discs llt and the inner surface of bridge t3 and ears Se formovement forwardly and rearwardly upon paper table 22 by rotation ofshaft 4U, gear de and discsll by a suitable hand knob (not shown).Affixed to the forward end of the tape 41 is a paper stop member dformed to normally spring upwardly thereon to form a throat forpositively receiving the lower edge of the work piece, and to engage theunderside of the paper deector 32 which, having angularly formed sides58, Figure 5, guides the stop (i3 to its adjusted positions.

Usually, in accounting practicegthe work sheets used vary substantiallyin length. it is obvious, therefore, that when a short form is to beprinted on, the paper stop 43 is positioned to the front of thecarriage, and when long forms are used stop 48 is to the rear or thecarriage. in the rear position of paper stop :lil there is aconsiderable length of unused tape ll? to be disposed of, The presentinvention provides a mean-s for retaining the unextended portion of tapeil which does not add bulk to the paper stop means, and thereby leaves amaximum amount of space available for associated mechanisms. To tairecare of this unextended portion or tape lll, a guide member 53 havingholes 5d, Figure fl., is firmly secured to the ears 3S by screws 55,Figure l, and extends forwardly of the carriage to rest on the carriageframe member l. A leaf E5 forming part of the guide member 53 is bentupwardly to overlie the upper surface thereof at a slight distancetherefrom. The tape di, passing around approximately 180 of the flangesof discs and between the leaf 5E and guide 53 is moved forwardly andrearwardly in a substantially straight line movement, between the guide53 and the underside of the paper table 22 as the gear i5 is rotated ineither direction, providing a maximum useful life of the tape.

Movement of tape 4l is limited in either direction of its movement toprevent its end from running off of gear 45. The movement is limited inthe forward movement of stop 4S by the engagement of the stop 46 with aprojection 58 formed in the upper guide S2. In the opposite direction,the movement is limited by engagement of the end 5e of tape 4'! in thejunction of the forward end of guide 53 with the lower side of papertable 22.

The above descriptiono a preferred embodiment of the invention is not t0be taken in a limiting sense as considerable variations are possible inconstructions all coming within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a paper table to support a worksheet, a paper guide adjacent said paper table and forming therewith achannel for said work sheet, a paper stop adjustably positioned withinsaid channel, a flexible tape connected at one end to said paper stop, asecond guide member below said paper table and parallel with said paperguide to form with said paper table a lower channel for the free end ofsaid iiexible tape, and rotatable means positively engaged with saidtape to retract said paper stop and simultaneousiy force the free end ofsaid flexible tape into said lower channel.

2. In a machine of the class described, a paper table for supporting awork sheet, a channeled paper guide above said paper table, a paper stopin the channel of said paper guide and between said guide and saidpapel' table, a flexible perforated tape connected to said paper stop, aflanged toothed, wheel engaging said tape and rotatable to adjustablyposition said paper stop, a casing having a slot in which the teeth ofsaid toothed wheel move to retain said tape in Contact with said wheel,and a second guide connected to said casing, said second guide extendingparallel to said channeled paper guide and substantially coextensivetherewith but positioned below and spaced from the underside of saidpaper table to receive the free end of said perforated tape.

References cited in the me of this patent UNITED sauras PATENTS NumberName Date 2,204,242 Anderson Juno l1, 1940 2,444,641 Fettig July G, 1948

